John Tory is going to be a busy guy in the coming days and weeks.
He not only has to deal with all of his new mayoralty responsibilities, he’s already lining up a list of ad hoc photo ops to go along with his get-Toronto-moving agenda.
It was just last week that the Mayor was issuing a warning to rush hour lane blockers on the major routes, “If you’re parked in those places on the major routes after the education period, you will be towed.”
Then came the photo-op promise. “If I have to chip in and drive a tow truck myself, those vehicles are going to be towed away.”
The throwaway line drew a murmur of smartass comments from the assembled media and on cue chuckles from and city staff.
But Tory’s comment gets at one of the big questions around his commitment to crackdown on congestion.
Does the city have the muscle to match the mayor’s fervour to fight gridlock?
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The answer is a resounding – “Dunno.”
READ MORE: Mayor Tory to put ‘full weight’ of his office behind plan to tackle gridlock
It all sounds fairly simple. Traffic enforcement officers start tagging vehicles almost immediately, once the witching hour…er..the rush hour begins. The tows are lined up ready to hook the offenders and haul them off to the pound.
But here’s the problem.
It typically takes a tow truck driver the better part of an hour to do that circuit. At best, one truck might move two vehicles out of the core during rush hour.
That’s primarily because there is no police impound facility south of Bloor Street.
Your car is hauled all the way out to Bartley Dr in the east, (Eglinton Ave. and Victoria Park Ave.) or Glen Scarlett Road in the west, (Weston Road and St. Clair Ave. West), if you’re tagged and towed in the downtown core.
There used to be a downtown pound located at 10 York Street (at the Lakeshore) but team Ford decided it was better to sell it off and convert it to a Green P parking lot. Parking generated more cash than a towing pound. The Parking Authority and Build Toronto went further – eventually spinning the property off to Tridel and it’s now the work-in-progress site of a condo building. (Any bets on whether or not the constructions contributing to traffic snarls?)
READ MORE: John Tory says accountability will be top priority at Toronto city hall
But, (yes there is a but!) Toronto Police tell us they are in talks with the city to open a downtown pound. They don’t know where it’s going to be and they can’t say when it might open.
Police also provide assurances that they have enough trucks.
But the math fails me.
If there is no downtown pound; if tow trucks typically need an hour to deal with a single vehicle; and if we’re not currently clearing all the lane blocking offenders then how can we possibly have enough tow trucks to accomplish John Tory’s take-no-prisoners commitment?
The mayor may not only have to drive a truck, he may have to bring his own.
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